If She Loved Him
by dev.daily
Summary: Being in love with the father of your child is expected. However, it's definitely not ideal when he's your ex and you're engaged to another man. This pretty much sums up Gabriella's life and explains why things would be so much easier if she loved the man she was with.
1. The Beginning

She loved him.

She knew she loved him.

That wasn't the problem. The problem came in the fact that she didn't know how to love him. No matter how hard she'd tried, Gabriella Montez could not fathom how to love him; or any man for that matter. It wasn't even relevant now, he didn't know how to love her either and it was far too late to figure it out. It was in the past, she had Callum now and she shouldn't have even been thinking about Troy in the way that she did. She just couldn't help herself. Gabriella's eyes fell to her left hand that rested on the steering wheel, the canary diamond that sat on her fourth finger stared back at her. She couldn't shake the feeling that it just wasn't right, not like it felt with Troy.

"Daddy!" The voice of her daughter halted her thoughts. She turned, seeing Troy strolling toward her car with a bright smile as he caught sight of Cassidy. Gabriella got out of the car, opening the back door to let the three year old out of her car seat. She took off running towards Troy as fast as her little legs could carry her, leaving Gabriella standing by her car alone.

Troy crouched with his arms outstretched, ready for the impact her small body would make when she reached him. "Cassie, how's my favorite girl?" He said, kissing her head and running his hand along the top of her french-braided hair. Cassidy pulled away, keeping her arms latched around her dad's neck. She was a spitting image of her mother, with slightly lighter hair (courtesy of him). The little girl's personality was that of her father's; energetic, carefree and daring.

She leaned in again and planted a wet kiss on Troy's cheek. "I missed you.." She mumbled against his cheek, her articulation showing off her mother's brains at a young age. Cassidy pressed her face into Troy's neck as he wrapped his arms around her completely, and lifted her up to settle on his hip. He finally looked up and saw Gabriella making her way towards them, carrying the purple kangaroo their daughter couldn't fall asleep without.

He examined her, letting his eyes scan from head to toe. An involuntary smile found its way onto his face, even after all the time they'd spent apart and the pain they had caused each other she was still the same Gabriella he'd met at the tender age of eighteen. She'd come waltzing into the library as his freshman chemistry tutor, so he could stay on the basketball team at their college. "Elle," He used his old nickname for her as he pulled her into a one-armed hug. "has she been good for you?" He asked her, not knowing what else to say. It had only been seven days since he'd seen her, since they alternated custody by week but he had to say something to her. He just wanted to hear her voice.

"She was her usual busy-body self," Gabriella told him, folding her arms in front of her. "but nothing that I'm not used to. Do you have anything planned for you and Cass, this week?" She questioned. Troy was admittedly the "fun parent". Cassidy would always come back to her with stories of the adventures she'd had with Daddy and all of the junk food he'd let her eat. Gabriella, while not being strict, definitely wasn't as lenient as Troy; making sure that Cassidy ate her vegetables and spent at least two hours a day doing something educational. They had a balance, it had been there since the beginning.

Troy smiled at her easily, she had always been able to read him. "Well I was thinking of taking Princess Cassie, here, to the aquarium to see the dolphin show." Cassidy perked up, pulling her head from the crook of Troy's neck and smiling at the idea. She excitedly looked between her mother and father. "Why don't you give mommy a hug and a kiss goodbye? Then we can go in and I'll make you some dinner." Troy told her, passing her off to her mother. Gabriella wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and placed kisses all over her face, exaggerating the sound her lips made when they touched her skin. She set her down, handing her the kangaroo and tapped her on the bottom and sending her up the walkway to Troy's home.

They stood, an air of tension between the pair of them. "How's Adrienne?" Gabriella asked, as nonchalantly as she could. Troy's blue eyes shifted down, at the sound of her question. Gabriella shifted, awkwardly, this was an obvious sore spot.

"We- uh decided it wasn't going to work."

"Just can't settle down, can you, Bolton?" She questioned, jokingly referring to the string of girls who he would tell Gabriella about. He didn't know why he always told Gabriella of his new partners. They never met Cassidy, so he really had no reason in bringing them up but somehow, they always came up. He felt as if he owed it to her, like he had to let her know of what was taking place in his life.

"Not since you." Troy told her, trying to sound equally as humorous as her. There was a glint of joking, but he was mostly serious. Gabriella easily picked up on it.

"How long did this one last, a week?" She asked, trying to once again, lighten the mood a little.

Troy glared at her, feigning hurt. "Haha, very funny. It was at least three." Troy told her, chuckling at the failed relationship. "But enough about me; how are the wedding plans coming?"

The brunette looked at the ground, he already knew the answer to the question. While she and Troy had broken up years ago, they still had a hold on each other. The two would spend many a late night on the phone, talking in secret. Gabriella would disappear to her and Callum's bathroom, while Troy , depending on if he had a girlfriend at the time, would sit in his kitchen to keep their conversation private. Their last phone call had been about four days ago and Gabriella had shared that she'd made a guest list and that was as far as her planning had gone.

Her eyes crawled back up from the ground, meeting Troy's once again. He felt guilty and his blue eyes only held concern. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine, Troy. I actually tried on dresses last night, none of them were right. I just couldn't picture myself marrying Callum in any of them." She told him, strategically leaving out that she honestly couldn't see herself marrying Callum at all. The dresses had nothing to do with it. It just hadn't felt right in general.

Troy nodded, trying to seem understanding. Inside, he was dancing for joy.

"Dad-dy!" Cassidy's high pitched voice came from the front door of his house. "I'm hungry!"

"Daddy's coming, baby." He called, quickly. "You can join us for dinner, if you'd like." His voice was hopeful, but he already knew the answer.

"You know Cal wouldn't like that."

"Call him. He can join us, too." Troy mumbled, taking a step forward. His hands reached for her waist.

"No." She closed her eyes, needing to block him out. "Troy, we can't."

"Why not? It won't be the first time." His lips found her neck. "Give me three reasons."

"Cass is older now, she understand things Troy."

He kept nipping at her collar despite, the protests. "She's in the house, Elle."

"You can't settle down."

He paused to look into her eyes. "I can with you." Troy's arms were still wrapped around Gabriella's waist.

"I'm taken." She held her hand up to make her point. The bright yellow diamond reflected light into his blue eyes.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. He never found out before."

"We had just started dating, then. We're engaged now. He's going to be my husband, Troy."

Troy lifted a brow at her, not removing his grip on her waist. "Cheating is cheating, no matter how long you've been with someone."

Gabriella's eyes nearly bulged out of her head at his audacity to call her out. "You'd know all about cheating, wouldn't you? You're pretty much an expert, don't you think?"

He sighed dejectedly, stepping back from her. It always went back to his biggest mistake, the one that drove her away for good. No matter the argument, she brought it up. He just couldn't bring himself to call her on the times that she'd hurt him, too.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry for that. I was drunk and pissed at you. It was years ago and we got back together afterwards. Can you stop throwing it in my face?"

"I'll stop throwing it in your face when you stop giving me a reason to bring it up. Insinuating that I should cheat on my fiance, who is waiting at home for me, is a reason to bring it up." She said, pushing him off of her and stepping back. She crossed her arms across her chest and stared at him.

"Remember that movie you always had me watch, with the one rain scene?"

Gabriella furrowed her brow, not seeing where he was going with this. "_The Notebook_?" She questioned, despite the fact that she knew that it was the exact movie.

"Ah, yeah, _The Notebook_. Isn't it your favorite, or has that changed?" He stepped closer a second time. "The girl in that movie was engaged until the guy fucked her brains out one good time. Then she came crawling back to him. Don't let art imitate life, Elle." He said, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger.

"Go feed my daughter, _Gilipollas_!" Gabriella said before she spun around, not wanting to have this conversation with him. They shouldn't have been having the conversation anyway. She was engaged, she was sick of running in circles with Troy. Their relationship strictly revolved around Cassidy, now. The attraction between them would always stand, but she could no longer act on it. It would only come back around to bite her in the ass, just like forcing Troy to watch _The Notebook_ had.

"Gabriella!" He called, but he didn't come after her. His feet were glued to the concrete of his driveway, because he knew it was his fault. She didn't turn around, she didn't even glance at him. She just continued marching to her car. He turned and went back inside his house, where Cassidy stood with her arms crossed, her stuffed animal hanging from under her arm. "What took you so long, Mister?" She questioned, tapping her foot.

"I was talking to your mommy." He told her, bending down and carrying her in the kitchen. "Now what does Princess Cassie want for dinner?"

"Dino chicken nuggets!" She exclaimed, as Troy sat her on the counter. He gave her a look that meant she had to pick a vegetable to eat, too. Gabriella always got mad for him just feeding her junk. "...and asparagus."

"That's my girl." Troy told her, running his hand along the curls that had slipped from her braid. He set out to work, keeping his best smile on his face while he talked to Cassidy, but his mind was still on Gabriella and how she'd stormed away from him.

Once she was inside, Gabriella wasted no time taking off. If she sat on his street, she'd change her mind. She was weak when it came to Troy. She'd successfully made it four minutes away from his home when she had to stop on the side of the road and let her emotions out. It didn't bother her that he'd made a move on her; that was Troy just being Troy. What was going to gnaw at her was the fact that she nearly reciprocated. If she had an ounce less self control, she would have had to make up some excuse as to why she'd skipped out on her movie night with Callum and she couldn't say it's because she was fucking her ex-boyfriend, that was for sure.

Thoughts of her near slip up and having to go home to her fiance began to brew in her head. Her mind also went back to Troy and why their relationship could never work. His mother being one; she had never approved of her, calling her a "bastard Mexican whore" the first time they met, but that was the very least of their problems when she and Troy had been a couple. While his problem stemmed from his mother (just like her problem stemmed from her parents), they couldn't completely blame it on their upbringing.

They'd learned to love from the examples they were shown growing up: their parents. Troy had been raised solely by his mother, the daughter of one of California's most well known politicians. Troy Bolton, like his mother, had the world presented to him on a silver platter from a young age. He went to the best schools, had the best clothes, and drove the best cars. It was his mother's way of showing her love; a trait Troy took away from her. He had the mentality that material goods could make up for any mistake. Gabriella chuckled thinking back to all of the gifts he'd bought her. They had only been together for five years, but he had to have spent thousands of dollars trying to make up for his mistakes, including times that he hadn't even done anything wrong. She'd never told Callum where it came from, but the necklace that she wore everyday was his gift to her after he'd cheated. It was a medium length platinum chain with two diamond-encrusted angel wings at the bottom. The only time it left her was when she was showering or swimming and even then, it wasn't far away.

Angela and Marco Montez's relationship dynamic was not that of a typical married couple, something that Gabriella picked up on when she was still a child. Having both been devout Catholics, when they found out they were expecting Gabriella, marriage was the only option. They didn't love each other and it was obvious. Their marriage was out of necessity, rather than out of love- meaning that Gabriella didn't even know what love was supposed to look like. She didn't know how to communicate with Troy, causing many unnecessary disagreements between the two.

Gabriella wasn't even sure that she had loved Troy, until she met Callum and accepted his proposal to marry him. She knew because she'd backed away from marrying Troy with the fear of hurting him. Knowing that if she married Troy, she had so many possible times to fuck up a good thing made her apprehensive. Gabriella couldn't see herself being okay with having hurt Troy. When Callum asked her, she said yes with every intention of never having any intimate contact with Troy again, eliminating the possibility of hurting him. Going into her marriage with Cal, she didn't necessarily want to hurt him, but she didn't exactly have any thoughts on how she would affect him if she screwed up the relationship. She cared for him deeply, just nowhere near as much as she cared for Troy.

And that scared her, she and Troy hadn't worked out. She had found a good thing in Callum, a stable home where he loved her without the aid of money. Gabriella just didn't know if what Callum had to offer was enough. It killed her being stuck between Troy and Cal. Callum loved her, but she didn't love him- at least not like a fiance should. Troy loved her and she loved him, but their relationship had been near toxic. Lastly, they both deserved so much more than she could offer.

Gabriella finally mustered up enough strength to put the car back in drive and go back to she and Callum's townhouse. Inside, he was already prepared with Netflix up and wine and popcorn laid out on his coffee table. He opened his arms, welcoming her into a hug before pulling her down onto the couch with him. She pushed herself back into his chest, melding their bodies together. Cal trailed a few quick kisses down her neck, giving Gabriella absolutely nothing. She didn't have the electricity buzzing that she had when Troy held her waist earlier. Her heartbeat didn't quicken as it had when he'd twirled her hair. And he sure as hell, didn't ignite a fire between her legs like Troy had when he'd kissed her neck. With the movie starting and Callum running his hands up and down her sides, Gabriella couldn't help but wonder what Troy and Cassidy were up to.

* * *

"You all ready for bed, sweet girl?" Troy asked poking his head in the bathroom. Cassidy nodded at her dad, motioning to her Rapunzel nightgown.

"Teeth?" Troy questioned, and she smiled brightly, showing off two freshly brushed rows of baby teeth. "Face washed?" She nodded her head vigorously. "Now go pick out a bedtime story and daddy will be in there in a minute."

Cassidy reached up to pull Troy along with her. "Daddy?" She questioned, looking up at him hopefully. "Instead of you reading, can you tell me my favorite story again. The one about how you and mommy met? Cause, you were mommy's Prince Charming."

"Anything for you, Cass, but you have to go to sleep right after. Come on, get in bed." He told her, holding her pink tiara-printed comforter open for her to crawl underneath. Troy pushed the sides of the covers down, tightly, just the way Cassidy liked it. "You ready?" She nodded, smiling up at him.

"Okay, let's see…" He'd told Cassidy the story so many times, she could probably recite it herself. "It was my first year at USC and chem was not my subject. I was doing really bad and I had to pass the class."

"So you could play basketball!" Cassidy interjected.

"Yep, so I could play basketball."

* * *

"_Are you Gabriella Montez?" Troy questioned the short brunette standing outside of one of the study rooms in the library._

"_Yes." She said, looking him up and down before checking her phone for the time. "Meaning that you're Troy Bolton and you're late. I don't have to do this, you know. This is volunteer work. Helping some rich pretty boy cabr__ó__n."_

"_I suck at chemistry, not spanish." He told her, smirking. "And I was just about to apologize for being late. I was at basketball practice and I stopped to get you some Starbucks." He said, holding up the brown paper bag and cup holder in front of her face. Gabriella rolled her eyes, ignoring the gesture and opened the door to the study room. She turned without a word and plopped down at the table in the middle of the room. She reached into her bag and pulled out a thick basic Chemistry textbook. "Are you just going to stand in the doorway and look pretty?" She called, flipping to the page they were going to start on._

* * *

_Gabriella sighed, throwing her head back as Troy just couldn't grasp the concept she was trying to teach him. She pulled her hair into a bun on her head and looked up at Troy. His eyes were locked in on her collar. "How about I explain it in a way you'll understand? You like basketball, right?" And he nodded. "So think of each family on the periodic table as a team in the league. Or as how good the players are. Noble gases are going to be your heavy hitters. There are six so think of them as Kobe, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Pau Gasol, and Kevin Durant."_

"_Wait, you watch basketball?" He questioned, in disbelief. She was smart, hot, and an NBA fan- girls like her came once in a blue moon. She nodded, rolling her eyes. People were always shocked when they found out she watched the sport._

"_And since you put Nash, Gasol and Kobe in there, I'm guessing you're a Lakers fan?"_

"_Is there any other team in the league?" Gabriella questioned, with a smirk on her face. _

"_Fuck yeah, there is! Ever heard of the Bulls?" He raised his eyebrows at her. _

"_Let me guess, you like them for Jordan. How many number 23 jerseys have you tried to wear, how many pairs of Jordans do you have?"_

_Troy looked down at his feet and moved his bag over the black and white Jordan slides he'd thrown on after practice. She'd just read him like a book, but could she really blame him for loving the best player who'd ever played in the NBA? A blush graced Troy's cheeks and Gabriella couldn't help but smile. He was cute when he was embarrassed. "We can both agree that my head's not in this, today. Do you want to grab a bite to eat?"_

_She was skeptical, Troy could tell by the look on her face. "As tutor and tutee. I'll pay and we can talk about basketball." Honestly, he was hoping that more would transpire between the two of them, that this dinner would be the start of something more. _

_He took her out for pizza at one of the campus favorites. They sat and talked about basketball, what brought them to USC and everything else that may have come up between them. They butted heads on so many topics, but there was something that clicked with them. As much as Gabriella didn't want to admit it, he had something that she liked. And when he invited her to a party that Friday night, she agreed. She also let him walk her back to her dorm._

"_I'm going to take you to a Bulls game and convert you from a Lakers fan."_

"_Oh will you now?" Gabriella asked, pushing her key into the door of her dorm room. She was about to walk in when she felt Troy's hand cover her's on the doorknob. She turned and looked at him, her eyebrow hitched upward._

_He nodded at her with cloudy eyes. "You lose so many points for being a Laker, but I think I can change your mind." He pulled her closer to him, watching her carefully. Troy couldn't quite guage if she was feeling like he did. _

_Gabriella scoffed, looking up at him with a mischievous smirk. "How are you going to do that?"_

"_I have my ways." He told her, leaning in and kissing the smirk right off of her face. She still had one hand behind her, holding on to the key but she used the other hand to play with the hair at the nape of Troy's neck. While the kiss wasn't long, there was something between them and they both felt it. When they pulled away, Troy was looking down on her smugly. "And I will do everything in my power to change your mind."_

_Gabriella leaned close to him, putting her lips right next to his ear. "Well you're gonna need to learn to do a little better than those lackluster kisses." She whispered, making sure her lips brushed against his ear with each word._

* * *

Cassidy eyes had drifted closed, but she was still clinging to the last bit of consciousness in her body. "Mommy was 'Hontas..." She mumbled, snuggling with her kangaroo. "...hard to get." She reached up and put her hand on Troy's cheek. She opened one of her eyes to look up at Troy. "John Smith got Pocahontas, just like you got mommy. You and mommy have to have a happily ever after. Night-night, daddy."

Troy kissed her forehead, making his way to his own bedroom. He smiled thinking of his baby girl snuggled into the her bed down the hall and what she had said. He felt the same way; the only thing keeping their happy ending away was Gabriella. Troy had to prove to her that they were ready now, he believed in them and she had to, too. He picked up his phone and scrolled to Gabriella's name. He stared down, debating whether or not he wanted to call her. Deciding against it, he sent her a text instead:

Elle, I'm sorry. Cass thinks we should have a happy ending b/c you're Pocahontas and I'm John Smith (Callum is Kocoum, in case u were wondering). Anyway, I think so too. Goodnight beautiful. I love u. I've clearly watched 1 too many movies with Cass and I was an ass to you, so we could both use some sleep. Text or call me back 2moro?

He read over, seeing it was three messages all together and prayed that something would change between them. That night he didn't get a call or a text back, but he had made Gabriella smile. Unbeknownst to him, as she lay next to the man she was set to marry a smile played on her lips.

* * *

A/N:

This stories going to be short; less than 5 chapters. I just hadn't written in a while and wanted to make sure I still had it. Anyway, reviews are always welcome. Thanks in advance, y'all!BTW this is super unedited.

love as always,  
dev.(:


	2. In Between

She still knew him like the back of her hand. She could recite his schedule, his meal choice, his favorite things- just because she'd never forget. When he answered the phone and she heard him panting, Gabriella knew that she still had her touch. She could hear the whirring of his treadmill in the background, calling him at 5:30 in the morning, meant that he'd be working out. It meant that Cass would still be in bed and that Callum would be in the shower, getting ready for work. Calling Troy at 5:30 in the morning, meant that Troy and Gabriella could talk in private.

"Elle…" Her name came out as he exhaled and slowed the treadmill speed down to a light jog. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said."

"You're right, you shouldn't have." She told him, smiling at the fact that she still felt like they were in college dating in secret, when they were supposed to have a strict tutor-tutee relationship.

He waited a minute, deciding whether or not to say what he really wanted to say. He took a quick sip of water, before continuing on. "But I don't think I regret it, I love you. I meant it when I said that. I just get frustrated with the fact that you're with somebody else now. I just wish it had come out differently, let's put it that way."

Gabriella sighed, running her finger along the marble counter tops in her kitchen. They had gone over this so many times. They both knew the truth, that they loved each other, even though Gabriella hadn't uttered those words to him in a while.

"You're going to have to get used to it- you should already be used to it. Troy we can't be together."

Troy turned the treadmill off completely and walked over to his weights. He docked his phone and put it on speaker, needing both of his hands to work out his aggression. "Why not, Elle? You know that fiance of your's doesn't and won't ever compare to me."

Gabriella whipped her head around, making sure that Callum was still upstairs getting ready."So what if I know that, Troy. I know a lot of things and I know that right now Cal is who I'm with. He's who I'm going to marry."

"But you don't have to, Gabriella. Don't you want to give us another try, give Cass the family she wants. She believes in us, Elle, why can't you?"

"Cassidy is a child, Troy. She believes in Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, and The Easter Bunny."

"Who buys her presents, hides eggs for her and who will put money under pillow when she loses teeth. Us. She believes in us, Elle."

And Gabriella cackled, she couldn't hold it in. She didn't care if Callum heard her, because she was almost in tears with laughter and it would have been worth it. "Troy that was so fucking cheesy. Who are you Nicholas Sparks?"

"No, I don't even know who that is. I just, I don't know. You make me cheesy, I guess."

She smiled wistfully, once again making sure she was still alone in her conversation. "There's a girl out there who will make you so cheesy and so happy that you won't even know what hit you."

"Her name is Gabriella Francia Montez." He mumbled, setting the weight down and moving on to his leg press. Lying on his back, he situated his legs and started to push up. "Are you working today?" He questioned, moving on from her trying to shift the focus off of her.

"No, I took the day off to do wedding stuff." She told him, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it. Her voice had lost its cheer that it had when they talked about themselves, when it was just the two of them. They were still so in sync with each other it was almost scary.

"Is he?" Troy grunted out, not wanting to say Callum's name if he didn't have to.

"Yeah." She said, looking into the cabinet and pulling out a box of cereal. If she was up this early, she might as well have some breakfast. "What are you getting at?"

"Come out with me and Cassie, today. She asked if I'd take her to Disney Land and I couldn't say no."

"Troy you can't keep spoiling her! She'll grow up and be an entitled brat."

"She's three, Gabriella. All she wants to do is see the princesses. Please come, when's the last time we did something with just the three of us?"

She thought it over. Troy had taken her to Disneyland back when they were together and they'd had the best time, it could only be more fun with Cassidy there. Plus, she really didn't want to look at floral arrangements all day. "What time?"

"Once I finish up, I'm gonna grab a shower and get Cass ready. So around eight if she doesn't try to kill me when I wake her up, she is your daughter after all."

"I'm up right now talking to you, aren't I?" Gabriella countered, smiling.

"You got me there." He chuckled, looking at the time and seeing it was fifteen minutes past six. If he was going to get himself and Cassidy ready in time, he'd have to start pretty soon. "Just meet me at my house, I'll drive down there."

* * *

Troy finished up working his legs, before stretching all of his muscles out for his cool down. He grabbed his phone from the dock and made his way upstairs. It was nearing six thirty and he still had to shower, get Cassidy up and make breakfast for the both of them.

Gabriella hung up her phone and went to the sink to rinse out her cereal bowl. She turned around and jumped as she saw that Callum was standing in the entryway, straightening his tie. "I didn't even hear you come in."

He shrugged taking a step closer to her and putting his hand on her hips. "What are you doing up so early? Don't you have the day off?" He asked, placing kisses along her jawline and cheek.

"Yeah, I do." She told him, slipping from his grasp and walking over to the counter to grab her phone and put it in the pocket of her pajama pants. "I just wanted to get an early start, I've got a long day ahead of me. Antonia and I are going to pick out colors, flowers, and bridesmaid's dresses. Or at least that's what we have planned." She told him.

"Oh." He grabbed his keys and slipped his phone into the front pocket of his shirt. "Well, don't wear yourself out. I'm going to head on into work."

"You don't want breakfast?"

He shook his head. "No, I'll pick something up on my way in, I'm running a little behind schedule." Gabriella walked over to him and pecked him on the lips, smiling as he made his way to the door.

Once the door had clicked closed, an odd feeling had settled into the pit of Gabriella's stomach. She stood in the front window and watched Callum drive off in his car. Could she really do this everyday for the rest of her life. She tried to convince herself that Cal was the better choice, but in all actuality, he was only the safe choice. Troy was the better choice, but he was dangerous- she didn't know where Troy would lead her. She knew exactly where Callum would lead her- to a future of safety and security. But he would also lead her to a lifetime of what ifs.

* * *

"Can we leave, daddy? I wanna see Rapunzel and Cinderella!" Cassidy whined, pushing her french toast around the plate.

"We're going to leave when you finish your breakfast and when your mom gets here."

Cassidy eyes widened as she looked up at Troy. She sat the fork on the table and started shoving food into her mouth, trying to get it down as quick as possible. Troy chuckled, pulling the plate away from her. "Chew and swallow, Cassie. Disneyland isn't going anywhere." He told her as the doorbell rang. "Promise not to choke on this?" He questioned, sliding it back over toward her as she nodded her head and he left to answer the door.

Gabriella stood before him in a red sundress, his favorite color. He eyed her and she smirked at him, pulling her sunglasses up so they rested on top of her hair. She had done it on purpose, Troy grunted in realization. He pushed the door open more to let her in and headed back toward the kitchen.

"Mommy!" Cassidy shouted, scooting out of the booster seat and running over to Gabriella. She wrapped her arms around her legs and hugged her as if they'd been separated weeks. "We can leave, let's go!" She said tugging on her hands and pulling her toward the door. Troy stood, watching Cassidy pull on Gabriella and imagining that it was an everyday occurrence. As he grabbed Cassidy's plate and rinsed it off, he let his mind wander to what this could be if only she let it. He put the plate in the dishwasher and followed his two favorite ladies outside to his car.

* * *

Troy snuck a glance at Gabriella as they waited in the line to get in the park; her arm was splayed out the window and her head was back, letting her hair flow in the wind. His eyes traveled up her body, from her toes resting on the dash to the dip of her collarbone that was proudly displayed by her sundress. His gaze landed on the valley between her breasts, more specifically, the angel winged necklace that rested there. He smirked at the thought that she still wore it after all this time- that he still had some type of claim to her.

"Hey Elle, remember what happened in the haunted mansion?" Troy said, looking over at her and keeping his voice low so Cassidy wouldn't hear him. He raised his eyebrows, while Gabriella's cheeks flushed red as the duo's more wild days came back to her. She swatted Troy's arm, but the smirk remained on his face.

"No hitting!" Cassidy called from the back seat. "Not nice, mommy."

Gabriella turned and looked at her daughter who was looking back at her with her arms crossed and brows furrowed. "Mommy's sorry, baby girl, but daddy was being a bad boy. Do you forgive me?"

"Can I get an outfit like Jasmine?" She asked her referring to her favorite of the Disney princesses and using it as leverage.

"You can even take a picture with the real princess." Gabriella told her, smiling back as Cassidy's eyes lit up. They'd finally made it to the front of the line and got the chance to enter the gates.

Cassidy looked out the window, taking in her surrounding before she looked back at Gabriella. "I forgive you, mommy. But don't do it again."

Troy watched the interaction in the mirror and couldn't help the smile that played out on his lips. Cassidy and Gabriella were too much alike for their own good. "She spends too much time around you." He mumbled, pulling into a space.

Gabriella glared at him, slipping out of the car as he put the top back up on the convertible. Troy smiled, unbuckling Cassidy from her car seat. He picked her up and let her sit on his shoulders, her legs hanging on either side of his neck. "Where to first Princess Cassie?" He asked in the best British accent he could muster and Gabriella couldn't help but let a smile replace the glare she'd given him a few minutes earlier. She pointed to Sleeping Beauty's Castle that could be seen from where they stood and Troy was off, Gabriella walking in step with him.

* * *

Cassidy waved vigorously at her parents, while Gabriella snapped a shot of the little girl on her phone. She was going around on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train, while Gabriella and Troy stood and watched her. From where they stood, they could hear her giggles filling the air and Troy knew it was okay, at least if only for the day, that he was spoiling her. Just seeing her this happy and having Gabriella with them was more than worth it to him.

As if on cue, Gabriella turned and looked at him. "Thanks for inviting me, today." She turned and rested her back on the gate that surrounded the ride. "This is the happiest I've been in a long time."

Troy stepped in front of her, placing his hand on the gate and caging her in. He waited for her to push him away but she didn't and he saw her slowly giving in. "Thank you for coming even though I was a dick yesterday." He mumbled, her scent was flooding his nostrils and clouding his senses.

"I want to kiss you, Elle." He mumbled, closing his eyes and dropping his head, trying to gain control over himself. He sighed, but was taken by surprise when he felt her soft lips pressed up against his own. His eyes opened, just as Gabriella was pulling ends of her lips curved just so as he eyed her and she leaned in one last time for a quick peck. Behind them, the gate clicked open and the children filed out.

Cassidy ran up to them, bouncing with joy. "Daddy, did you see me?" She questioned, wrapping her arms around his leg. She looked between her parents, smiling brightly. As much as Gabriella didn't want to admit it, she could see a difference in Cassidy when she was around both she and Troy, as opposed to just one of them.

"Yeah, we saw you." Troy told her, picking her up and settling on his back in piggyback position. "Are you ready for lunch now or do you want to wait?"

"Lunch!"

Troy smiled, looking down at Gabriella who'd been pretty quiet since Cassidy had joined them. He turned and started on his way toward the New Orleans themed part of the park. He was debating whether or not to take Gabriella's hand when her phone rang. He saw Callum's name pop up on the screen just before Gabriella swiped to reject the call. Troy didn't know whether or not that was a good sign or not. Had she not wanted to talk to him because she was with Troy or did she not want him to know she was with Troy at all?

He let the thought go as they arrived at Cafe Orleans. Cassidy had been obsessed with _The Princess and the Frog_ lately, so Troy was hoping that Tiana and Naveen would make an appearance and that Cassidy would get the chance to taste beignets as she never stopped talking about them. They were seated outside at a table on the patio, before Gabriella said a word.

"Do you have to use the bathroom, Cass?" She questioned, standing up from the table and waiting for her response. She nodded her head and held her arms up for Gabriella to pull her from the booster seat.

Gabriella held Cassidy around the waist, so she was high enough to wash her hands in the sink before she sat her down to wash her own. "Mommy…?" Cassidy called out, as she rubbed her hands dry with the paper towel.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Were you and daddy kissing?" She questioned, looking down as if she were afraid she'd get in trouble for asking.

"Uh, um...yeah- we were. Mommy and daddy are friends and sometimes friends who are really close kiss each other. I love daddy like I love you and I kiss you, don't I?"

Cassidy nodded, her mouth in an "O". "So you're not gonna be daddy's princess?" She questioned, suddenly a little sadder.

"You're his princess!" Gabriella said, tickling the girl and getting a giggle out of her. "I can't steal your place."

"I'd share with you, mommy." She told her kissing her mother's cheek before they exited the bathroom.

* * *

By the time Troy had driven them home that night, Cassidy was drained. She'd tried and failed miserably to stay awake in the back seat. Troy turned the car off, but neither he nor Gabriella made a move to get out of the car. He turned and faced her, pushing one of her curls out of her face. "Are you coming in?"

Gabriella's face twisted as she weighed her options. She looked at the clock, seeing it was already half past six. Troy could tell by the look on her face that she was about to decline her offer. "He won't die if you aren't home for another forty-five minutes and I have ice cream…"

"Birthday cake?"

Troy nodded and she was out of the car before he got the chance to use his next argument against her. He grabbed Cassidy from her car seat, catching her Mickey ears that had fallen, before he went into the house. He took her socks and shoes off and laid her down, deciding against putting her into pajamas. When he joined Gabriella in the kitchen, she'd already taken a spoon to the carton. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips cautiously.

She didn't ease into him, but she didn't tense up either and Troy took it as a good sign. He sighed, they had to talk about the day- about what happened. "Elle…"

"Troy, leave it alone."

He turned her around gently, not wanting to rock the boat too much. He looked her in the eye, despite her trying to avoid his gaze. "Don't tell me you don't want this."

She slipped out from the space between Troy and the island, walking over to the table on the opposite side. He stayed put, giving her space. Troy couldn't help but sigh, as he leaned against the counter and put his head down. Words were flowing through his head, when her voice piped up.

"You know I want it but you know it won't work. We don't work, Troy. We won't work."

"You don't know that. You keep saying that, but you don't know for sure."

She whipped her head around, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "Did we work the first time?"

Troy pushed his keys and the mail off of the counter, before he threw his hands in his hair. He turned and faced her, looking into her eyes. "Stop throwing the past in my face. It happened, it's over. We're older, out of college- we're not the same people, Gabriella." He walked over to where she sat, pulled her out of her chair and sat her on the table. Troy leaned into her, mumbling, "We've grown up." right before his lips attached to hers.

Her hands were instantaneously massaging his scalp, getting lost in his hair. Troy's hands gripped her thighs, pulling her closer to him and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. She used her feet to push his crotch closer to her, while pulling him toward her using his belt loops. Their tongues danced between the two of them, not fighting, but enjoying what had been missed in their time apart. His hands slipped up her dress, inching toward her underwear, when he paused. There was a bit of cold metal against him: her ring.

He pulled away, sighing with his head in the crook of her neck. She pulled his face up, holding it between her hands as she looked at him with a questioning gaze. "You're his." He told her, peeling her left hand away from his face and holding it up for her. She looked between her ring and Troy, slipping the ring from her hand and sitting it behind her on the table. Gabriella made sure their eyes were locked when she reached between the two of them and took the angel wings in her hand, holding them on display for Troy while shaking her head. "I'm still yours, I'll always be yours." She told him. It was as if she could no longer resist the pull between them, like someone had opened the floodgates and she couldn't shut then no matter how hard she tried.

Her fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt before she placed her hands underneath and ran them up and down his abdomen. Troy's hands were back under her skirt and his lips attached to her neck. "No hickeys, Troy." Gabriella mumbled halfheartedly, but it was too late. Troy had already marked his territory on her collarbone.

* * *

**A/N: I kinda forgot I uploaded a story. Haha, it's been a while. Sorry for the wait, if any of y'all were actually waiting. Hope this didn't disappoint!**


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